The present invention relates primarily to a golf ball of improved appearance, which ball achieves a bright, color-saturated effect and has a high quality feel.
In the technical field relating to golf balls, various innovations are commonly made to improve ball performance, including distance, feel, controllability and durability. Over the past few years, in addition to such ball performance characteristics, there has been a growing demand for visual impact, attractiveness, and a high quality feel. It has thus become important recently to finish the golf ball so as to make the appearance at the ball's surface more attractive and impart a high quality feel, and also to maintain this appearance to some degree even after the ball has been played.
An example of such a golf ball is described in, for example, JP-A 6-170013. This golf ball contains, in a paint layer or in the ball itself, a pearlescent colored pigment which is composed of a mica core coated with titanium oxide.
While this prior-art golf ball does have a visual impact, there is room for improvement because it has a yellow cast due to trace impurities present in the mica, which does not feel quite right in a golf ball presumed to be white.
Another prior-art golf ball, disclosed in JP-A 2004-81350, is a painted golf ball which, through the use of a color-shifting material in the paint, has been conferred with fashionability and a high quality feel.
However, the paint film or cover material is colored in these golf balls is clearly intended to be colored. Unfortunately, the range of useful applications for colors in golf balls, which are generally white, is limited.